Why you shouldn't under-seed winter wheat with red clover

Tuesday, February 9, 2016

So you don't want to have higher yields and have to pay more income tax? And you want the challenges of controlling resistant weeds from your neighbours and trying to stop soil erosion?

by PAT LYNCH

After promoting red clover as an under-seeding in winter wheat, I now know why you should not do it.

The first reason is because you will be able to cut back your nitrogen rates by 50 or more pounds per acre. Even if only at $0.60 per pound of nitrogen, this is $30 per acre reduction in costs, or $3,000 per 100 acres. With this reduction in costs, you will have more profit and pay more income tax. And nobody likes to pay income tax.

The second reason you should not under-seed red clover is because of higher yields the next year. I have seen 25 or more bushels per acre when corn follows red clover compared to where there is no red clover. With all that extra corn, you will have to make more trips to the elevator. This will take extra time. Not good.

The third reason is that when you get a good catch of red clover, you will have fewer weeds in your wheat stubble. Mike Cowbrough of the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs suggests that a good catch of red clover can reduce weed seed return to a field by 99 per cent. This can be a problem since you will not have so many weeds to take care of in following years.

For instance, if glyphosate-resistant fleabane floats into your field from a neighbour, it won't be able to establish. So you will not have the exciting challenge of trying to control resistant weeds that come in from the neighbours. Again, if this means less cost, you have the income tax problem again.

The fourth reason is soil erosion. A good clover crop will reduce erosion. So if your fields are not eroding because of a great stand of clover, what will the neighbours talk about? I guess they could talk about your neighbours who did not use red clover and have erosion.

And then there is the problem with increasing organic matter and the overall general health of your soil. Again this can be bad because it leads to higher yields over time and you already know the down side to higher yields. You won't see a rapid change of soil health, but you will over time.

Now if you don't follow my advice and seed red clover, don't clip it right after wheat harvest. The problem with this is you get even more red clover. And you know the problem with too much red clover right – higher yields, less cost, etc. And clipping prevents weeds from setting seed.

If you are still reading this article, thanks. Seeding red clover in winter wheat is such a great practice. I have been promoting it since I started with the Ontario agriculture ministry in 1973. Over the years, the acres of have risen and fallen. I asked 12 Certified Crop Advisors what percentage of the wheat in their area gets red clover. The percentage ranged from 10 to 50 per cent. The average was around 25 per cent.

Why do you not under-seed your winter wheat? Is it because you don't want to pay income tax, you don't want to make extra trips to the elevator, you want to have the excitement of controlling more weeds, or you want the challenge of trying to stop erosion? BF

Consulting agronomist Pat Lynch, CCA (ON), formerly worked with the Ontario agriculture ministry and with Cargill.